Titania's Stand
by Skellybelle
Summary: A second chance was given to Erza, and she wouldn't waste it. But what will happen when she is placed into a world that is so much different from hers? / Rated T for dark themes and future content. May go to M later on. /


_Story originally written: 7-28-2016_

_Re-written and plotted: 11-13-2019_

_Word count: 1603_

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Today wasn't going the way that she had wanted, but then again; when did it ever?

Being kidnapped to a place that you had escaped many years in the past wasn't something one wanted to revisit. The echoes of the memories pulsed through her mind like a storm upon an ocean, leaving her with no real time to think about what to do next.

Then there was Jellal. When she had finally seen him after so long, many strong feelings resurfaced, but the two burning questions among many was why hadn't he come to her sooner and why had he kidnapped her?

Those questions never truly got answered, as he began to become cryptic, refusing to give her an answer to clear her mind. And that infuriated her to the point that she summoned her sword and pointed it at him.

They both knew that Erza would never hurt him, and her heart would break if she ever did. But as the minutes passed by, which seemed like hours, a slow realization came into place that Jellal wasn't the same as the Jellal she knew. And when she wouldn't hurt him, he would hurt her.

A fight issued when that thought was processed, and ended with Erza finally pinning him down. He teased her right after, but one could tell he was shocked at her power and speed.

"I didn't think you'd be able to pin me down, Erza. But I'm not exactly surprised." He said after a moment of silence, seemingly calm despite the circumstance. "Keeping tabs on you wasn't hard, you've become quite popular with your 'new' family."

"You've been watching me for years and never thought to tell me that you were alive?" She hissed and her sword inched closer until the tip was resting on his neck. "My 'new' family? They took me in when I thought everyone was dead!"

He rolled his eyes, "Don't act as if you are the victim here. You abandoned us as soon as the Tower fell to the Slavers." His icy eyes rested onto hers, they bore into the deepest parts of her one working chocolate eye, as if looking into her soul with nothing but hate. "We never died, but you never looked back to check, did you?"

"I-..." Hesitation planted itself onto her features and the sword withdrew slightly. It was enough for Jellal's action to work as he flipped her over, his pale hand grabbing onto the sword and yanking it from her grip.

"It seems to me that we are reversed now." He smirked as she glared at him with such anger but also regret. "Now what to do…"

She was surprised when he threw the sword to the other side of the room and got up, extending his hand to her. "Come on now, get up." She hesitantly took it, only to be wrapped into a tight hug.

Many emotions rippled through her mind as she was embraced. Happiness was one of the emotions but the strongest one was wariness. "I've waited for years for you to come, and I do apologize about having to kidnap you. But plans must come into fruition. I do hope you understand." Jellal said softly, his eyes were replaced of the hate it had moments ago and in them was hope.

"I don't know what you mean." In truth, she didn't. Maybe this was a ploy for him to kill her or maybe a plan to reconcile after the past events? This was one of the very few moments that Erza felt completely stupid as her answers and questions seemed to line up to that of an 8-year-old. "Jellal?" She said after he seemed to be lost in thought.

Without time to react, he spun her around and shoved her backwards. She clawed at him to regain her grip but was met with air. Instead of falling onto the ground, something warm and slimy was met. He had pushed her into a Lacrima.

Pain coursed through her body and tears met into her eyes as she looked at Jellal for help, but she knew she would get none. His warm, hopeful eyes replaced themselves with untold glee and excitement, his hands wrapped around a brilliant blue staff of which he locked into place with a small square that had been made into the ground.

The tower shook as the power belonging to Erza was slowly absorbed. She tried to scream as her face was enveloped into the Lacrima but no sound was heard. The air seemed to have left her lungs, depriving her of oxygen and suffocating her. She tried to cover her mouth with her hands in some futile effort to create a pocket of air but failed.

Her last moments were spent looking through a blue abyss at the person whom she had considered her best friend. After what seemed like hours, darkness finally enveloped her and the pain ceased.

* * *

"What an unfortunate end you have been brought. I wonder if it could have been prevented?"

Her eyes snapped open, only to be closed just as fast at the brightness of white that surrounded her. When they opened once more, it seemed like she was in a vast area of nothingness, but something among the distance could be seen.

As she turned around, she gasped as she came face to face with an immeasurably tall cloaked figure. A pair of red eyes was seen as they stared at her with no emotion.

"Who are you...? Where am I? Where is Jellal?!" Her questions seemed to pour out of her mouth without thought and she scolded herself inwardly as questions could be answered better if it were given one at a time. "Please…just tell me. Where am I?"

The cloaked figure rolled their eyes, "I think it obvious. You are dead."

Erza fell to her knees as tears sprung forth, spilling down her fair skinned cheeks and splashing onto the white ground below. "I… am? That means.."

"Yes, he killed you. Not much of a childhood friend, is he?" they replied, as if teasing her. Normally she would fire up on anyone whom teased her, but she didn't have the strength. "Here is the better question then what are running through your head; 'What now'?"

Her gaze snapped to theirs, as if an epiphany had surfaced. "And do you know what that answer is?" She demanded and another eyeroll surfaced, making her mad. "I think I deserve to know so stop rolling your eyes at me!"

"I will do whatever I please. Maybe you shouldn't snap at someone whom is going to help you." They cut in before she could say anything else, seemingly growing impatient. "Honestly, I thought you were smarter than this."

Shame bloomed onto her face and she looked at her hands, "You are right, you don't deserve any of this hate inside of me..."

A hand rested onto her shoulder, but she didn't look back up. "You've done a great many things, things of which have earned you a better chance at life." That got her to look back up in hope, but it was quickly diminished when they shook their hooded head. "It will not be in your world, your time there has finished."

More tears spilled out of her eyes, and she covered them in an effort to hide her failures. "I'm sorry…"

"They know." Sympathy was evident on their voice; she was grateful there was no pity but questioning just HOW they knew what she was going through. "They want you to move on to a better path and that is just what you are going to do. Unless you would like to be laid to rest?"  
She quickly whipped her tears away with her hands, "No, I don't. I want to keep living."

"Then so be it." As those words were uttered, a flash of lightning forced its way into her vision and the familiar feeling of the abyss enveloped her once more.

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**Alright! There's most likely no difference in my writing, but I'm trying to bring more conversing into this story and I think it's working! To the readers that traveled from my old story; thank you for reading! And to the new readers that have joined; Welcome!**

**My last story had a voting which lead to the Golden Trio Era, and I can't say I am surprised. So that's why I have another thing for people to vote on. And I've figured out how to make polls so please go onto my profile and vote! **

**A side note, I will try to keep in character, but there is going to be things that are very OOC and that's because this story is going to go into a VERY different direction then what the Cannon universe went through.**

**Big note! I really want to keep this story going, but for me to do that, I need communication and feedback! And as I said in my previous story and I'll repeat again, criticism is welcomed but flames are not at all. I have way too much happening in real life to deal with flames on stories that I am already hesitant and afraid to write.**

**Anyways sorry to bring the mood down. I really hope you enjoyed this chapter and remember, please vote!**


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